Oleksandra Matviichuk, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 for her efforts to document war crimes, human rights abuses and power abuse, has called on Asian governments to play a greater role in addressing the humanitarian consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In an interview with the Bangkok Post during her first visit to Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand, Ms Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties in Ukraine, said: “You can’t be neutral to human suffering. This is not geopolitics, this is a very human question.”
She said Thailand should begin a dialogue with Russia to help address urgent humanitarian issues.
Speaking about her visit, she said she wanted to use the opportunity to establish “horizontal ties” between people in Ukraine and those in Asia, to learn from each other and highlight the human dimension of the war.
Her time in Thailand was short, consisting of a public lecture, media interviews and a handful of meetings. “It is a very brief visit,” she said, adding she hopes to return to meet more officials and human rights colleagues. Despite the limited schedule, she emphasised the importance of making her voice heard, believing even a short stay could spark dialogue and solidarity.
In Bangkok, she was the keynote speaker at the Institute of Security and International Studies forum entitled “War against Ukraine: Humanitarian Challenges, Peace Prospects and Implications for Asean & Geopolitics in East Asia”. Later that evening she met the foreign press at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT).
Ms Matviichuk criticised international peace talks for focusing more on minerals, territorial claims and geopolitical interests while neglecting the human dimension of the war. She stressed the need for global voices to push for the return of about 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. Just over 1,000 have been brought back in the past two years.
She also called for the release of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians detained in occupied territories, urging international pressure to secure humane treatment and eventual release. Ukrainian officials say around 20,000 children have been abducted, though she believes the true number is much higher.
She said these children have been separated from families, placed in Russian institutions and told they are no longer Ukrainian.
“Therefore, Thailand and other Asian countries could use their diplomatic channels to raise humanitarian issues. Occupation is not just about territory but about millions of people subjected to disappearances, torture and denial of identity.
”We will be very grateful if Thailand and other countries of Asia use their voice to make these humanitarian issues visible,” she said, noting that even ordinary citizens in Thailand could play a role by speaking out against disinformation and supporting the truth.
She said Ukraine welcomed any kind of support from the international community. Ukraine has expanded its diplomatic presence in Asia, including opening an embassy in the Philippines. She stressed the importance of building “horizontal connections” with Asian societies, as many people in the region know Ukraine only through Russian narratives.
“We urgently need to build these connections. That is why I am here,” she explained, adding that Ukrainian artists, MPs and civil society leaders are increasingly visiting Asia to foster ties. Beyond government action, she highlighted the importance of building ties between Ukrainians and Thais through cultural exchanges, sports and academic cooperation.
She said ordinary people have the power to change history, pointing to Ukraine’s resilience in the face of overwhelming odds.
Life in Kyiv
“When the war began, many believed Kyiv would fall in three or four days. Yet here we are, fighting into the fourth year of large-scale war,” she said. She described the current situation in Kyiv as “the most horrible thing that can happen in human life.”
Normal routines have collapsed, replaced by uncertainty and fear. With Russia’s destruction of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, millions face a freezing winter without electricity, heating or water. “It is a survival issue. You have no idea how to warm milk for your newborn baby,” she said, warning of a looming humanitarian crisis as millions have fled their homes.
She recounted harrowing personal experiences of surviving Russia’s war, while urging Asian nations and ordinary citizens to lend their voices to humanitarian causes. She described the winter of 2022, when her family endured freezing conditions without water or electricity.
In desperation, her husband attempted to warm bricks in their kitchen to generate heat. “I thought, oh my God, we are returning to the Middle Ages,” she recalled. Yet messages from neighbours offering gas, generators and food revealed a spirit of solidarity that sustained them.
“We survived that winter because of human solidarity. Self-organisation and responsibility became our survival sources,” she said.
The question of peace
When asked about the war’s end, she admitted to some uncertainty. Ukraine has proposed unconditional ceasefires, but Russia has rejected them. She argued that President Vladimir Putin’s denial of Ukraine’s nationhood, language and culture underpins the conflict.
“People in Ukraine dream about peace,” she said. “But we want peace, not Russian occupation. If we are occupied, we will cease to exist.”
In her closing remarks, she appealed directly to Thai citizens: “We are fighting for our children, like every other people in the world. We want them to live without fear and have freedom. Freedom has no borders, and only its spread can make our world safer.”
She expressed admiration for Thailand, praising its food, nature and hospitality. Despite the uncertainty of war, she vowed to return. “I don’t know how my personal story will end. I just know that freedom will prevail.”